After serving in the military as a signals corps combat soldier, Hayley Shanahan is about to embark on a completely new career.
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Shanahan is set to graduate from a four-year bachelor of fashion degree from Box Hill Tafe.
The Castlemaine-turned-Lancefield fashion designer will start her fashion career next year full of confidence after securing a major award the Tafe designer of the year award at the Australia Fashion Awards at the weekend.
She also secured second and third places for her designs in the Geelong Catwalk for Cancer on October 7.
“I discharged from the military after six years and was bored at home with the kids, so I started sewing,” she said.
“It started when needed to sew some things for my kids and I ended up buying a pattern and fabric and having a go. It was bad but she wore it and I started selling them.
“Then I decided I really should learn properly and started Tafe two days a week to fit around my life.”
In her fourth and final year of study, Shanahan had the chance to work with Stephanie Kinsman who designed a number of dresses for AFL players’ partners attending the Brownlow Medal this year.
“It made me understand how capable I was,” Shanahan said. “I can’t commit to full time work in Melbourne because I am based in regional Victoria but I wanted to upskill from people in the industry.
“With my more engineering and mechanical mind as well as an IT background, I never would have thought I would end up doing this (as a career).
“In year 7 I couldn’t do sewing and the teachers said to not bother but my Nanna – Endna Pedler – was seamstress in Castlemaine so there are some links to keeping it in the family there.”
The 38-year-old mother has also impressed the younger generation of students she studies with.
“A lot of people think you need to be young to have creativity and vision and some people thought I was a bit ‘outdated’,” she said.
“But I grew up in an era with parachute tracksuits and fluoro colours, which are definitely not in my collection. I have learned high-end couture techniques, which took a lot of hours.”
Shanahan is planning to launch her own bridal and event wear range next year and put her her seven-piece collection forward for Melbourne Fashion Week. She also wants to launch her own regional fashion label.
“There’s not a lot of options for regional brides and a lot head to Brunswick and Fitzroy,” she said. “I live on a farm and want to build studio here with a different (vibe to Melbourne).”
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